Minimalist Caricatures Are the Ultimate, Cruel Fame Test

If your likeness cannot be pared down to simple, cartoonish renderings — like these cminimalist caricatures of pop culture icons — then you’re not famous. If we can’t recognize you by your alien lightning bolt make-up, we don’t care how well you croon. If we can’t place you in television fiction by your sleeked-backed hair and the sloping accents of your solemn mug, how are we to know that’s a “Damn good cup of coffee, Diane” you’re holding? English illustrator Stanley Chow has been working in this style for a long time. See more at his upcoming retrospective in Manchester. And give up already. Just kidding, superstar!